Haefliger Pius

Pius Haefliger was born in Sursee. After completing his teacher training he studied clarinet at the Lucerne Conservatory and counterpoint at the 'Akademie für Schul- und Kirchenmusik' (Academy for School and Church Music) in Lucerne, he studied conducting under Ernst Schelle in Freiburg im Briesgau and Lausanne and attended master classes in conducting in Lugano (Switzerland) and Amsterdam. He is presently active as an instrumental tutor at the 'Pädagogischen Zentrum Musegg' in Lucerne, as an orchestra musician in the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra and as manager and director of the AVISO conductor workshops in Lucerne. He received a sabbatical year from the Dienemann Foundation for compositional works. He has also received prizes from various composition competitions in Switzerland, Greece and the Ukraine.

Work list

Phantasie und Scherzo (1984)for clarinet in A soloA very free and dramatic first movement is followed by a second, in a strong jazz like style. This piece uses no special effects but draws on every register of the clarinet including the very highest. Duration: 5' 00"

Visions (1991)for symphonic wind orchestra (including contrabassoon)Visions: A fight between vision and reality. In this composition the symphonic wind orchestra acts in a rather untypical combination of timbres and rhythm.Duration: 12' 00"

Chicago Pictures (1991)for symphonic wind orchestra with piano, double-bass and vibraphoneA day in the life of an American city. A total of five images depict the pulsating of a city. A city in which, like anywhere, crime and fortune sit side by side.
1. Rush Hour - 2. The Dawn - 3. In the Bar - 4. Quarrel - 5. Drunken Homewards.

Duration: 10' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Chicago Pictures (1991-2006)version for symphony orchestra (2.2.2.2/4.2.3.0/timp.perc/vib, xyl(1)/pf/str)Everyday Chicago: This piece depicts 5 images from everyday life in Chicago, in a dichotomy typical of the big city. 'Rush hour', 'Dämmerung', 'Bar', 'Streit' and 'betrunken heimwärts' could actually be scenes encountered in any city. The application of a jazz quartet (vibraphone, piano, bass and percussion) makes the piece to what it is: a piece of everyday America.
This piece is 100% identical to the wind orchestra version from 1991.Duration: 10' 00"

Spiegelungen (1994)for piano soloThe name refers to the composition technique of the piece. Out of the prologue five reflections and an epilogue are formed. A very sensual piece allowing great freedom for the interpreter. Duration: 10' 00"

Consequenza (1995)for alto saxophone soloA different perspective on the serial composition technique. How 'calculated' music can sound good.Duration: 5' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

A Question and its undesirable Answer (1995)for alto saxophone soloTaken from real life? Everybody has received an unwanted answer to a question; the question is what to make of it....Duration: 5' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Bach-Tango (1996)for string orchestra and small drumIt is actually a great shame that the tango was not known in the time of Bach. His famous opening motive from Toccata in D minor (which is not actually from J.S. Bach) would be suitable as a head motive for a Tango.Duration: 6' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Cantus Nr. 1 (1996)for string orchestraThis work requires a church room, it reverts to the simplicity of the Gregorian; only from absolute silence can the best be acquired.Duration: 10' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Oszillationen (1996)for clarinet, piano and vibraphoneWhen all parameters of music are in a state of constant change, the three musicians have a truly tricky time in the interplay. A work in which the listener, despite the traversing and unaltered 4/4 time, cannot hear the pulse - even after minutes of listening. Duration: 10' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Recitativo, Aria & Danza (1996)for guitar solo and string orchestraSpain a little different - that’s the sound of the guitar when it is played as a melody instrument as opposed to being played as a chord instrument. Duration: 10' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Nahe - näher (1997)for ten instruments and a part-time conductorSpatial music for sub contrabass transverse flute, oboe, bass clarinet, violin, piano, four percussionists and a female singer. The singer does not actually sing but speaks and directs - she is the ‘string puller’ gradually bringing the actors (musicians) to the centre of attention.Duration: 11' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

"THE voice" (1998)for voice, vibraphone, piano and string orchestraWritten for a female jazz singer who, through the flexibility of her voice, can produce sounds similar to those of a wind instrument. Duration: 12' 00"

"Pizzango" (2000)for string orchestraPizzicato and Tango become 'Pizzango'. A piece also suitable for an amateur orchestra.Duration: 5' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

"Rhapsody in Blue" (2000)for piano solo, seven wind instruments (ob.cl.asx-Eb/hn.tpt.tbn.tba) and percussionArrangement of the famous work by George Gershwin.Duration: 16' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Chroma (2001)Suitefor accordian and string orchestraThe accordion is extremely well-known in our regions as a folkmusic instrument, not however, as a concert solo instrument – and that together with orchestral accompaniment! The few works written for this combination stem almost all from renowned bandoneon virtuoso Astor Piazolla. In fact his compositions are not works for accordion and orchestra but for the South American variant – the bandoneon. Although Piazolla composed for another instrument he also provides, to a certain extent, the measuring staff for my Accordion Suite.
The work is in four movements (Rezitativ, Musette, Cantilena & Danza), arranged and required in addition to the string orchestra is a clarinet and a vibraphone. The four movements are strung together in a suite form, whereby each movement merges seamlessly into the next. The accordion as a solo instrument is thereby apparent in four different ways:
- in the first part as a recitative instrument (similar to opera), very melodious
- in the second part as a typical French instrument (French: "Musette")
- in the third part with, amongst others, a solo cadence
- in the fourth as a more chordal instrument, which takes over the 7/8 rhythm of the strings
The whole work is characterised by its rhythmical diversity, which also affects the 5/4 and 7/8 time.Duration: 15' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Hommage (2001)for soprano saxophone and string orchestraAs the name implies, this work takes reference from the Baroque master composers, with a total of four movements orientated on this long-forgotten time. It is not by accident that I set the soprano saxophone as a solo instrument; it has in its timbral character an astounding similarity to a solo instrument commonly used in Baroque i.e. the oboe, respectively the English horn.Duration: 10' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Ultra Short Wave (2002)for two solo pianos, brass quartet and timpani… you remember the times when radio broadcasts made a break at midnight and during this transmission-less time one could search for foreign channels? This work is concerned with exactly that.Duration: 16' 00"

Custos Verlag

Krauerhusmatte 1CH-6206 Neuenkirch

Dona Nobis Pacem (2003)Spatial musicfor solo soprano, boy's choir, echo alto saxophone, harp, bass drum, string orchestra and choirFollowing the period with which I had, up until then, occupied myself almost exclusively with secular music, I had the idea about a year ago to produce a large ecclesiastical piece; a work, which consciously allows several "small" formations to work together.
This work is intended and conceived for a (large) church room; the room is directly incorporated into the course of the piece.
Although this music is through-composed in one go, there are several parts which are distinguishable; the work is cyclically composed and ends there where it began – in absolute silence. There is a minimum of text – namely the three words which make up the title of the piece DONA NOBIS PACEM – which focuses the listener on the absolute central characteristic of this piece; its sound.Duration: 30' 00"